Radhika Madan: Box office never felt anything to me, I want my craft to speak to be able to get good work

Actor Radhika Madan says that past good work opens up doors for future opportunities, she therefore does not want to compromise on her work at any cost.

Owing to lockdown and several films releasing directly on the web, the box office pressure was absent for quite some time and many lauded this democratic arrangement. However, unperturbed by all this, actor Radhika Madan has never given in to the number game and wants to stay focused on her craft.

Actor Radhika Madan has been a part of Bollywood films such as Pataakha, Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota and Angrezi Medium.

“Box office never felt anything to me. My job is done on the last day of the shoot and during promotions,” she reasons and adds, “Till that time, I honestly do my work so that there are no shortcomings from my end. Rest isn’t in my hands.”

Though Madan agrees that her films making more money will not just make her “commercially viable” but will also help her raise her remuneration, she maintains that right now, that’s not something on her mind.

“That’s not my funda. What matters is your work. I want my craft to speak, so that I get good work because I’m confident I’ll recover the remuneration if I’m here for long. For now, I don’t want to compromise on my work. Even if the numbers don’t work at the box office but your craft is fine, you’ll get work. But if the film does well yet you failed to touch a chord with your performance, then how does it help? I prefer looking at this broader perspective.”

As an artiste, Madan strongly believes in “sustainability and longevity” more than nothing else. She does on the cite her career as an example and says her first two films Pataakha (2018) and Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota (2019) weren’t box office successes, but got her immense critical appreciation.

“In fact they did well on OTT. I feel grateful that people liked my work in both the films. And my performances in them got me Angrezi Medium, which again couldn’t get a proper theatrical release, and then Shiddat. So, your past work gives you future work,” says the actor, all set to make her debut on the web, which she’s currently shooting for in Jaipur.

Reacting to theatres finally reopening after seven months, Madan admits that even though jobs and survival are at stake, she is still worried about everyone’s health.

“That, I feel, should be our priority because the virus is still there and several cases are being reported daily. At the same time, we also should be thinking about the economy. From the industry point of view, I’d love that theatres have reopened, as my work depends on it. But given the risk, is it the right thing to do, I don’t know,” she opines, clarifying that she’d avoid visiting a theatre anytime soon, and as for shooting, “It is necessary, so I’m doing that”.

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Author tweets @Shreya_MJ